When I was a young teenager, I was utterly besotted with Prince William. What can I say? While my friends were eagerly snapping up magazines featuring N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys, I bought a short and fairly abysmal unauthorised biography of the royal heir. I didn’t care; it was something. Thankfully, Benedict Cumberbatch fans of any age no longer have to face the indignity of wasting money on shoddy prose.

Benedict Cumberbatch, In Transition is an exhaustively-annotated and impressively-detailed account of a young actor’s career. Some might ask if now is the time for such a book, releasing arguably nearer the beginning of his acting career than the end; however, the transitional aspect gives the tome much of its interest. Porter purposefully sought to chronicle the rise of an actor who is only just beginning to reach the heights many expect him to continue to scale.

It’s important to note that since the book is unauthorised, the information is gleaned from other sources. The value of such a book is the same as that of a very specific encyclopedia–it presents a host of information that most fans would be unable or unwilling to look up for themselves.

Whether or not Cumberbatch is as successful in the future as the author and many in the media and wider fandom expect, this book will continue to serve as an interesting signpost at the crossroads of a person’s life. Even those who have followed Benedict for some time will likely find new details to savor.

As a frequent user of Tumblr, a photo-heavy social networking site, I know firsthand that plenty of young people are as besotted today with Benedict Cumberbatch as I once was with the future king of England. Lynnette Porter has provided them, and their older counterparts, with a valuable guide to a fascinating career. No abysmal imitations need apply.

If not, here’s a quick rundown as I understand it. For a while now, loose-leaf tea company Adagio has given tea drinkers the option of creating their own blends with different teas and flavors, and Adagio would offer those blends for sale to other customers with similar taste.

Enter Cara McGee, a talented and creative artist who started making blends based on the shows she loved. Suddenly, a small niche on the Adagio Tea website turned into a massive fandom trend, particularly for fans of the BBC’s Sherlock series.

I’m here to tell you that if you haven’t become a part of this trend, you’re missing out. Cara doesn’t just slap tea flavors together for the sake of making something; her delicious blends actually reflect the personalities of the characters she’s representing.

For instance, Sherlock Holmes Tea tastes like drinking a bonfire, while John Watson Tea, my personal favorite, has a delightfully traditional base with a hint of the exotic.

I have yet to try a blend I haven’t enjoyed, and Cara offers something for everyone, from fruity herbal blends to strongly smoky offerings. In addition, the packaging of each blend features Cara’s beautiful original artwork.

Tea is the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon spent reading the Sherlock Holmes canon. Tea inspired by the detective himself is the icing on the cake.

July begins the second half of the year, and it’s a good time to start thinking about what to buy for people on your Christmas list. For most Sherlockians, books are always a welcome gift. Two yuletide-themed tomes recently caught my eye.

Sherlock Holmes: Have Yourself a Chaotic Little Christmasby Gwendolyn Frame is a frothy, charming advent calendar of Holmes stories, with one for each day of December. The tales range from serious to humorous, mysterious to comforting. Frame’s Holmes reads like the man as we might see him reflected in the flames of a warm holiday fire–touched with Christmas spirit and good cheer, without the sharper edges of his personality in evidence. The book would be an excellent stocking stuffer, or perhaps an entertaining decoration to adorn a book-lover’s coffee table during the holiday season.

Sherlock Holmes and the Missing Snowmanby David Ruffle, with illustrations by Rikey Austin, is a Sherlockian children’s book as chock full of sweetness and warmth as a Christmas pudding. Just before Christmas, Sherlock Holmes is approached by a desperate little girl who can’t find the snowman she lovingly created and endowed with scarf and pipe. To Dr. Watson’s surprise, Holmes treats the mystery as seriously as any of his career, and the result is a story that could make even the Grinch crack a smile. The stunningly beautiful illustrations by Rikey Austin make this a can’t-miss gift for the budding Holmesians in your life.